Five Ways to Stay Fit While on the Road, by Shauna Harrison, PhD.
Shauna Harrison, fitness guru extraordinaire, spent last week kicking off Wellthily’s ‘New Year. Refined You’ series here at Refinery Hotel. What we witnessed was nothing short of pure dedication and a willingness to share her passion for health and wellness with others. In between amazing feats of physical agility — aka headstands on the bar — Shauna shared a few tips for staying fit while on the road.
Here are Five Ways to Stay Fit While on the Road by Shauna Harrison, PhD.:
I love to train when I travel. I mean, I love to train, period. But, when visiting new places, I see it as an adventure in Sweatland. It’s a challenge to get it in while enjoying vacation or even while hustling between business meetings and tasks, but that is my kind of challenge.
Here are five things that make it a little easier to get your sweat on while traveling:
1. Inquire ahead: When you book your hotel, find out if there are gym facilities on site and, if so, what type of equipment is available. If hotel gyms aren’t your thing, check what type of facilities are in the surrounding area. Search for studios, gyms, parks, playground, running trails, etc., in the area and make a plan to use them ahead of time. Maybe even before you land. It’s easy to find yourself with little to no time for sweat if you try to just leave it for whatever downtime you have available. There’s rarely “downtime” when everything around you is new and waiting to be discovered.
2. Break your routine: Use vacation or work travel to break up your normal workout routine. Since it is likely that in doing #1 you will find out that there are not all of the same workout spaces or places available while you’re visiting this new area, step out of your comfort zone and try something new. It’s good to cross train and good to shock your body a bit with different types of movement.
3. Pack appropriately: Once you find out what is available in the hotel or in the surrounding areas, pack appropriately. I always bring equipment with me. Jump ropes, gliding discs, resistance bands, and even agility ladders all make their way into my carry on quite frequently. They provide a comprehensive workout for minimal space in your suitcase. This also means pack the appropriate attire for whatever you will be doing for your workout: swimsuits, running shoes, weather appropriate gear, hats, sunscreen, etc.
4. Get outside: Play “tourist” actively. Take advantage of the sights, monuments, landmarks, terrain and beauty of the place where you happen to be traveling. Go for walks or hikes or runs. Look for stairs to climb. If weather is potentially an issue, see #2.
5. Take a vacation: If you are constantly going beastmode in your normal day-to-day life, perhaps a trip is the perfect time to take a rest day or two. This may not apply as well if your trip is super long, but a few days of rest can really do a body good. Maybe do some morning stretches. Visit the spa. Get a massage. Treat your body kindly to thank it for all the hard work it endures.
And here’s a little bonus tip: Save any plastic bags you acquire while purchasing items during your stay. They are great for containing sweaty clothes. I have also been known to pack multiple large Ziploc bags to really keep the clothes from messing up any other items in your suitcase!
Happy, sweaty traveling!
Follow Shauna on Twitter and Instagram for daily fitness inspiration!
Staying at Refinery Hotel in the month of January and want to get in on the #WellthSeries action? Click here to learn more about our special offer, and be sure to check out the New Year. Refined You. month of wellness events here!
